A View from Big Ben: NC State

[London Vol]

GAME 2 – NC STATE 7 SEPTEMBER 2024


When I was young there was a painter called Rolf Harris on TV. He had a large paint brush that was about 6 inches wide and a huge canvas. He would paint away with big flashy strokes and as each minute passed a picture started to emerge until it was complete. A big part of the fun was guessing what the painting was going to be, well the 2024 season reminds me of this. We have now seen two games of the regular season and a picture is emerging, and it might not be just a picture, but a masterpiece.

If you have returned from Mars this morning and looked up the Box Score you could have been mistaken to think that it was an easy victory and that NC State had been overrated. Well, this was no bad team that we eventually overwhelmed even to the point of emptying the benches in the 4th quarter. Remember NC State were knocking “on the door” to level up the score late in the 2nd quarter when “Walk on Will” took it 85 yards for a 14 point swing and you just felt at the time that this was a pivotal moment.

Overall, the performance and the victory was as good as my imagination can stretch to. Right now we should be re-evaluated to be included in the upper echelons of the rankings with GEO, OST, ALA, and OLE Just wait to Nico plays better. David Sanders and Faizon Brandon probably had the biggest smiles in North Carolina last night, guys, you both made a great career defining decision to wear orange.


QUARTERBACKS B+
After only two games the Nico Iamaleava Heisman campaign is already gaining momentum. But this was not a perfect performance for the anointed one as the 1st half INT was down to him and actually missing Squirrel White on a potential 1st down in the 2nd quarter when the game was still in the balance must be remembered when grading the Quarterbacks, I don’t blame him for the 2nd INT. But these imperfections can be put down to inexperience as remember he has started only three games. The good news is that all reports from the coaching staff is that Nico learns really quickly from his mistakes, so best to get them out of his system now. But apart from the above, this was still a performance brimming with potential, we have about 25 games left watching Nico so take a pause and really enjoy it, because in the future you will bore the pants off your grandchildren with tales of when Iamaleava was at Knoxville.

RUNNING BACKS A+
249 yards on the ground was mega impressive with Dylan Sampson who had 132 yards at 6.6ypc my man of the match. Dylan had to earn many of his yards, but what really impressed me was the way he had to hang on to the ball whilst under heavy duress trying to force him to fumble. DeSean Bishop again provided depth for this unit with 42 yards from 10 carries and that man Iamaleava added 65 yards from 8 carries which included the lovely 31 yard draw for a TD.

WIDE RECEIVERS A-
The numbers were not earth shattering but I still can’t remember a drop. Great to see Bru McCoy still looking very mobile and Squirrel White laid out for an important 45 yard bomb. There will be bigger days ahead for the WRs, but no blame should be attached last night.

TIGHT ENDS A
This Unit is going to look very different during the Nico era. Ethan Davis had another very good outing and Holden Staes bounced back well with a TD after a costly penalty. But the star of the TEs was Miles Kitselman. He was almost an afterthought when transferring in from Alabama and that was for mainly his blocking skills. But his Receiving is turning out to be a great bonus. Not only did he have 3 catches for 39 yards but had a 50 yard TD taken off the scoreboard for a ticky-tack penalty.

OFFENSIVE LINE B
The “big uglies” overall looked good and 460 yards of offense against a top 25 team suggests that they had a good day. I hope the limp that Lance Heard displayed late in the game was not serious as I am not sure about the depth, but overall, a decent day in the trenches


DEFENSIVE LINE A++
I know that A++ does not really exist but I wanted to demonstrate how good a performance from Rodney Garners “boys” it was, and this can best be highlighted by NC State rushing for only 39 yards at a paltry 1.4 ypc. I am loaved to mention anybody by name as they were ALL stars as they repeatably got NC State in “3rd and long”. The defense also posted 3 sacks and 13 TFLs. People said they could be in the conversation of being the best in the country and I thought that was hyperbole, but there is a genuine case for that award. Play like this and Tennessee will be in every game this season whoever and wherever it is.

LINEBACKERS A
Like the DLine, the LBs were excellent. Keenan Pili (now I see why we were so keen to sign him) and Arion Carter (all the tools that you need to be really special) were beasts and Jeremiah Telander was not to be left out of the fun with as fumble recovery. Very impressive.

DEFENSIVE BACKS A-
After starting with a “bend don’t break” policy the DBs grew as the game progressed. They should also be given credit for restricting Concepcion to only 53 yards as he is their main weapon. I think Jermod McCoy plays with some moxie and Jacobe Thomas is a good asset in the backfield, but it was also pleasing to see both John Slaughter and Edrees Farooq making splash plays late in the game. We might have far more talent in the backfield than at first thought. Finally, you would have noticed I have left Will Brooks to last. He had me punching the air so hard that Mike Tyson would have hit the canvas with his game changing 85 yard INT. I look forward to the video when he gets his scholarship presented.

JOSH HEUPELS CELEBRATION AFTER THE KITSELMAN TOUCHDOWN A+
Didn’t you just love it !!


GO VOLS

 

[tbh]

Always a pleasure to read your game breakdown, @London Vol . Hope all's well across the pond!

 

[strongj81]

Thank you London vol reading your weekly reports are apart of my Sunday morning tradition.

Gbo!

 

[VolBricks]

great write up to a great game.

 

[Sivad]

London Vol my man

 

[KTrain]

I think Brooks was put on scholarship already this Summer.

 

[London Vol]

Thank you for the lovely comments they mean a lot to me as do the likes, as its the only way I know when I have finally driven you all mad. It is bad form to outstay you presence at a party.

GO VOLS

 

[FranklinVFL]

Nailed it.

Nico’s INT was the same route he completed last week to Thornton layering that ball between the LBs and Safety. Difference is a higher caliber opponent, those LBs were a few yards deeper that created a smaller windows and too much air. He will learn as the competition gets tougher, but that still was completable if he had led the receiver a bit more.

Very teachable.

 

[Sarms58]

I believe our bend but don’t break approach on that first drive was just being cautious as we felt them out…we tightened up after and they never converted another 3rd (or 4th) down or scored an offensive TD. Their longest play on that first drive was 7 yards - we kept them in front of us as we gauged their strength and speed. Like everyone else, I wanted a quick 3 and out but Banks knows what he’s doing.

 

[feathersax]

Another sterling game summary from our British VOL! Your grades are high, & rightly so. Health OK? Anxious for you to attend a game in Knoxville.

 

[YankeeVol]

Nice write up

 

[ftsandersvol]

I think Brooks was put on scholarship already this Summer.

Holly Rowe asked Heupel post game if Will's performance warranted a scholarship now and Heupel just smiled and brushed off the question. Sounds like he is still on Walk-On status.

 

[London Vol]

Another sterling game summary from our British VOL! Your grades are high, & rightly so. Health OK? Anxious for you to attend a game in Knoxville.

Hi feathersax heath ok, thanks to the big man upstairs, next operation is in December. I now have a problem that with cancer on my record the foreign travel insurance will be horrendous for the four of us, so I guess it’s Saturday nights in rainy England for a while but it’s ok, I got so much fun last night (until I realised my clock read 5:30am) I hope you also are keeping well and the old “jam tart” was not put under as much pressure as you expected

 

[Scot Harvath]

Jolly good analysis from across the pond. Keep up the great work. Good health to you also.

 

[Volinnooga]

Great analysis and write up as always. A couple of points:

I don’t want to take anything away from our defense because they were fabulous. It has been a long time since we’ve seen a Tennessee defense play with that aggressiveness and confidence. I’m not sure, however, NC State is very strong offensively. I do not believe in MaCall is fit for big boy football. Time will tell whether they’re better offensively than they showed last night, but no question, a big part of that was the strength of our defense.

if you had told me before the game that we would win 51 to 10, I would’ve bet Nico had at least three touchdown passes of 50 yards or greater. That’s what is impressive about our offense. If you slow down the long ball passing game, (which NC State did a good job lof night) we still have enough offensive weapons to score a ton of points. I also think NC State experienced what others have experienced when playing Tennessee. With our offensive ability to score, once you get a couple of scores down, I think the opponent often panics. That led to turnovers, and other offensive stumbles. But again a lot of that was the result of a dominating defensive performance.

A great win for the Vols!

 

[ftsandersvol]

@London Vol, great write-up as always. I always look forward to your insights. I hope you are doing well.

 

[TAF]

Coach Heup's Response to @London Vol

 

[London Vol]

Great analysis and write up as always. A couple of points:

I don’t want to take anything away from our defense because they were fabulous. It has been a long time since we’ve seen a Tennessee defense play with that aggressiveness and confidence. I’m not sure, however, NC State is very strong offensively. I do not believe in MaCall is fit for big boy football. Time will tell whether they’re better offensively than they showed last night, but no question, a big part of that was the strength of our defense.

if you had told me before the game that we would win 51 to 10, I would’ve bet Nico had at least three touchdown passes of 50 yards or greater. That’s what is impressive about our offense. If you slow down the long ball passing game, (which NC State did a good job lof night) we still have enough offensive weapons to score a ton of points. I also think NC State experienced what others have experienced when playing Tennessee. With our offensive ability to score, once you get a couple of scores down, I think the opponent often panics. That led to turnovers, and other offensive stumbles. But again a lot of that was the result of a dominating defensive performance.

A great win for the Vols!

Thr scary part about last night was both Nico and James Pearce probably had their worst games of the season

 

[OSVolFan]

Great write up. Thannks!

The only momentum NC State had all night was the first drive where they used quick passes to mute what would eventually turn into our Dline’s dominance. When they ran 1/2 the 1st quarter clock off on that first drive I remembered thinking I understood their game plan (and thinking it was a good one to play keep-a-way from our O). The other time they had us on our heels was when they ran the trick play to get Concepcion open in the middle of field, followed with a few good runs while we caught our breath…….before Brooks turned the game around with the pick 6. After that, when they were down 14+, it was lights out for them with our suffocating D.



Apparently, that 3-3-5 defensive scheme has given Heupel fits in the past. It would be interesting to know if any of our future opponents run that or if any potential playoff teams run that as a base defense. I wouldn’t think so, but maybe?? Probably like facing a basketball team that still primarily runs a 2-3 zone.

 

[Tin Man]

@London Vol reminds us that saving Great Britain from the Nazis was a good thing.

 

[TnVol!]

VFLLV!!!

 

[EZE]

Nailed it.

Nico’s INT was the same route he completed last week to Thornton layering that ball between the LBs and Safety. Difference is a higher caliber opponent, those LBs were a few yards deeper that created a smaller windows and too much air. He will learn as the competition gets tougher, but that still was completable if he had led the receiver a bit more.

Very teachable.

Yes. And the really exciting thing to me is that he has the confidence to try that throw in the first place in his third start. And, really, there isn’t any throw on the field that he is afraid to take.

That starts with the coaches to give him that green light and not “dumb it down” for the young starter.

This program could go to some crazy heights. Finally back!

 

[SpookyAction]

Holly Rowe asked Heupel post game if Will's performance warranted a scholarship now and Heupel just smiled and brushed off the question. Sounds like he is still on Walk-On status.

Surprise of the night was Holly getting CJH to crack a smile with a mic in front of him during the game.

 

[Dr H Lecter]

Another great write up! Tennessee is a defensive team. (Who knew?) The offense was effective, too, but having a defense is such a luxury with a Heupel coached team.

 

[YankeeVol]